Here's a precursor to the 1959 Chevy Biscayne that set a new standard for law enforcement vehicles with the specially tuned, policy only version with a 348-cubic-inch V8 capable of propelling the car to a then-impressive 135 mph. This is the hard-top, two-door 1954 Bel Air Sports Coupe. The vehicles were relatively cheap to purchase and powerful.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zanthia/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0